The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-04-07
Washington Letter.

The Inter State Commerce Commis- |
are not likely to mature an or
ganIzation this week. They are all in
the city and ready to begin, but Judge
Cooley, of Michigan, has raised the
point that the Commission cannot be
Until after the 5th of April,
because the law will not take effect
until that date. Said he, we will not
be Commissioners until then, and we
have no right to organize before"
It is said the first question the Com
mission will take up for consideration
will be regarding an application by
the associated railroads of Kentucky,
Tennessee and Alabama to be allowed
spectial rates on through traffic on
account of'the competition of the Ohio
and Mississippi river lines. 1t is held
that the Commission is authorized to
grant special rates in such cases if it
finds the water competition materially
affects the through traffic of the roads
At the White House, matters have
ideni Is devotipg a large share of his
attention to consideration of the i'm
portant appointments soon to be made
The. newly :. appointed Austrian
Minister having arrived in Washing,
ton, it is probable that Minister from
this country will be appointed in re-
turn. The Treasury changes are still
unannounced, and good deal of at.
tention is now being bestowed by the
public upon the selection by the Pres
ident of the three Commissioners fol-
the Pacific Railroad investigation
The task of finding the right men fol
these places proves almost as difficult
as was the construction of the Inter
State Commission.
Every week some enemy of the Ad
ministratiOn announces with grea
pOsitiveness that a specified member
of the Cabinet is about to resign, Las
week it was Secretary EndicOtt. this
week it was Secretary Whitney, ant
next week it will be the Attorney
General, or the Postmaster General o.
the Secretary of the Interior. OF al
these foolish inventions probably th,
most absurd is the latest allegation
namely, that Mr.. Whitney is dissatis
fed with his position and wants tn,
Treasury portfolio.
Mr.. Whitney's position" just nov
is about as " satisfactory" in every wa!
as is conceivable. He is wealthy, sue
cessful, influential and the center O
metropolitan society. Those who ar
closest to him know that he would no
accept the Secretaryship of the Treas
Jury if it were offered to him, and eve
rybody knows he would not wish t
resign on the heels of the greatest tri
umph of his life-the letting of con
tracts Oh favorable terms for tn
country for the immediate construc
tion of a powerful navy.
After all the edenunciation that Pres
ident Clevelan received at the hand
of his enemies for the vigorous exel
else of his veto power with regard t
fraudulent pension claims, recen
} incident is worthy of mention. o
the 10Th of February the Presiden
vetoed a private pension bill on th
ground that the soldier was entitle
to a greater relief under the law tha
was accorded by rhe act. as was show
! by the records of the Pension Bureau
A fortnight ago he received lette
from the claimants attorney sayin
that the pension certificate had nc
yet reached the beneficiary. There
, upon the President wrote an autograp
letter to the Commissioners of Pension
inQuiribg into the causes of delay
This looks as if he were vigilant i
behalf of the worthy soldiers as we
as careful of the interests of the publ
treasury, and that his patient applies
ton to the details of his office is me-
ciful as well as just.
But of all the bills that have eve
been suggested for the relief Of men !
any way connected with the war, th
worst probably was one received fe'
days before Congress adjourned by
United States Senator, 1t was pre-
pared by a citizen OF his State, an
was well drawn. 1t provided for tn
payment, with interest, of the none
expended by every man drafted in tn
war, in securing a substitute. Th
Senator WAS asked if his constituen
was really in earnest in asking him {
Introduce that bill. Undoubtedly, :,
was his reply, and Furthermore,
think there is as much sense in it d
there was in some of the so called pen
sion measures which have been intro
duced in the Senate and House durin
the last five years"